My path to citizenship, and the White House: Column

Apr. 23, 2013
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Luis Miranda / Whitehouse.gov

by Luis Miranda, USA TODAY

by Luis Miranda, USA TODAY

When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. One of my best friends with the same goal joined the Civil Air Patrol and encouraged me to join, too. I jumped at the chance. But then it happened. I needed a Social Security number and didn't have one. I began to understand what it meant to be undocumented.

I didn't handle it well. My grades suffered, and I felt certain goals were out of my reach. Fortunately, a few farsighted individuals saw to it that I didn't fall through the cracks. Two of them were my parents. Most of the others I never met. Among them were members of Congress from both parties who joined President Reagan in passing an immigration law in 1986 that allowed immigrants like myself a path to citizenship.

The right approach

Last week, a bipartisan group of senators known as the "Gang of Eight" introduced a new immigration reform measure. Their bill would continue to strengthen our borders, fix the legal immigration system and provide a path for the 11 million undocumented to register, pay taxes and play by the same rules as everyone else before they could get on a path to citizenship.

Unlike the 1986 law, this approach is tougher and also expands employer verification so that those doing the hiring are compelled to own up to their responsibilities. It's the right approach.

For many immigrants, there was never a path to come legally. But they're here now; they've put down roots. They're not looking for a handout, just a chance to work hard and do the right thing.

President Reagan once said that "Latinos are Republicans. They just don't know it yet." In that spirit, I would argue immigration reform is the conservative thing to do. Conservatives just don't realize it yet.

A different life

It wouldn't be hard to imagine my life if President Reagan hadn't had the courage to sign that bill. Today, the still broken immigration system forces undocumented workers into an underground economy where they are often taken advantage of, and may not pay taxes because they're likely paid under the table by unscrupulous employers.

Young people who grew up here, like I did, but who haven't been given the chance to earn their citizenship, face the prospect of ending up washing dishes rather than staffing our laboratories or joining our military.

A decade after I was sworn in as a U.S. citizen, I was sworn in to serve at the White House. What I've learned through the years is that citizenship is more than a certificate. It's about our responsibilities to each other and to our communities, and stems as much from Fourth of July picnics as from how we embrace the values that have made America strong.

Immigrants understand that citizenship won't be handed to them. They're standing up because they're ready to earn those responsibilities. They embody the conservative principle of self-reliance. President Reagan understood that. Let's give them a chance.

Luis Miranda, a former communications adviser to President Obama, is a strategic communications consultant in Washington, D.C.

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